How to Encourage Your Kids to Do Acts of Kindness

Want to help your child make a thoughtful present for someone special?

Looking for a unique gift that combines creativity with acts of kindness?

This creative project contains good deeds that can literally be tied up with a bow!

In this article I’ll show you how to create an “acts of kindness” bouquet with your kids. It’s the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, a birthday, teacher appreciation or anytime someone special needs a lift.

Look below for a few variations that are perfect for the male role model in your child’s life, too!

Why Make a Kindness Bouquet?

As a parent, you strive to raise well-rounded kids who think of others. With busy schedules, you need to make the most of every opportunity. Wrapping acts of kindness into a special gift is certainly a way to do that.

Coming up with unique gift ideas can be a challenge, especially if you are trying to say thank you to someone who cares for you. Seriously, how do you wrap up love and appreciation?

Every woman loves a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The only thing a parent, grandparent or teacher loves more is a gift that kids make themselves.

An act of kindness bouquet is the perfect solution.

During this fun project, you and your kids will make kindness flowers using paper, paint and assorted art supplies and then add an “act of kindness” to each flower. Each act is a promise to do something special for the recipient of the gift.

Create a one-of-a-kind bouquet filled with acts of kindness.

It’s important to encourage your kids to pause and think of all the things that parents, teachers and friends do for them every day, and to think of acts of kindness they can do in return. Then put those ideas into action with this gift.

Plus these simple ideas can be used beyond the days surrounding special occasions. These random (and not so random) acts can become part of your routine, practiced throughout the year.

#1: Paint Kindness Flowers

Have them take a few sheets of paper and paint all over them. Your kids can paint freeform or use random objects to create designs on the paper.

Start by painting the background for kindness flowers on sheets of white paper.

If you want to use items to create a pattern or design, try cotton swabs, cotton balls, lids, corks and straw. It’s important to cover each sheet of paper thoroughly.

Note: Make sure your kids know that they’re not necessarily painting shapes to look like flowers—that part will come later.

Use a variety of objects to create an assortment of designs.

Messiness in this process is encouraged. Just have paper towels close by.

Give the painted paper time to dry before you go on to the next step. This is the perfect opportunity to start brainstorming lists for the acts of kindness.

#2: Write Down Kindness Gifts

Sit down with your kids and talk about things that would be nice to do for the recipient of the bouquet. They’ll probably surprise you and come up with some great ideas for Mom, Grandma, Auntie or their favorite teacher at school. These written-down acts will be promises, chores or additional creative gifts that your kids will do throughout the month.

Note: Many of these are more appropriate gifts for a parent or relative. For teachers, stick to chores around the classroom, treats for class, time volunteering for a school philanthropy and art projects.

Once you have your list, discuss which “gifts” are truly possible and pick 10 of your favorites.

Write out kindness gifts on slips of paper.

Have your child write the finalized kindness acts on small slips of paper. Set them aside and go back to working on the flowers.

#3: Create Kindness Flowers

Once your painted paper is dry, you can go on to make the kindness flowers. Trace around a premade flower outline, a stencil drawn by your child or a large flower-shaped cookie cutter and have your child cut the flowers out of the paper.

Note: Younger kids may need help cutting intricate shapes. We cut the painted papers into quarters to make it easier for little hands.

Trace the flower shapes. Then cut them out of the hand-painted papers.

#4: Assemble Your Kindness Bouquet

Once you cut out all the flowers, use tape to connect each one to a stem made from a stick, bamboo skewer, pencil or pipe cleaner.

Remember the acts of kindness you wrote on slips of paper? Attach each act of kindness to a flower stem, below the bloom. Just place the paper against the stem and tape it. Feel free to add extra paper to use as leaves for the flowers.

Attach the flowers to the stems using a small piece of tape.

Next, tie a ribbon around the bouquet or arrange the flowers into a vase.

Note: You may want to add glass beads, marbles or something similar to the bottom of the vase. That will help keep it stable and help you arrange the paper flowers.

Attach your kindness gifts to your flowers.

When you give the gift, explain that each flower represents a gift the receiver can redeem at any time. Draw a small picture—a heart, perhaps—on each flower as it’s redeemed.

A Kindness Gift for Dad or Another Special Guy

Want to make a less-flowery kindness gift for Dad, Grandpa or another male role model? Try this variation. Instead of kindness flowers, make kindness sporting equipment.

Voilà! The perfect gift! One made with paper, paint and lots of love. And a great way to teach your kids to be kind and grateful.

Some Final Thoughts…

In this busy technocentric society, it’s important to give our children tools to express empathy and reach out to others with kindness. These fun acts should inspire joy, as well as a love of helping—and surprising—others! A kindness bouquet is the perfect way to turn these acts into a cherished present.

What do you think? How did the flowers turn out? Who received them? What gifts did your kids add to their kindness bouquets? We’d love to hear your ideas and see pictures in the comment section below.

Kim Vij shares ideas for making everyday moments into teachable opportunities at The Educators’ Spin On It and on an award winning Pinterest board. Other posts byKim Vij »

http://www.mykidsadventures.com/ KJ Ammerman

I love ideas for re-using bottle caps and container lids! I’ll be rescuing some of ours from the recycle bin asap ;). The simplicity and open-ended nature of this project makes it perfect for kids! Thanks for sharing this activity with us, Kim!

lynn silva

This project came along at the perfect time. I’ve had something like this in mind but just didn’t slow down long enough to be this creative. I LOVE this idea and am going to use it with my 8 year old. Thanks so much.

http://www.mykidsadventures.com/ Jennifer Ballard

Thanks, Kim! Love it–a creative project with a lesson in values built in. What a great gift.

TheEducatorsSpinOnIt

Lids can be used for so many things! I love that it also makes it an activity for siblings of varying ages to do too. Thanks for your kind words Kristin.

TheEducatorsSpinOnIt

I’m so glad you found the project Lynn, you’ll have to let us know what your 8 year old adds to their bouquet.

TheEducatorsSpinOnIt

Thanks Jen! I love finding ways to sneak in learning even when crafting for fun, helps when you’re short on time to make sure you are giving your child all the you hope to encourage them to learn and explore.

Gaelle

Hi Kim, thanks for the great idea! I do believe that showing our kids to do this kind of things is what will help them be better persons. We do an edible variation of this: a home made biscuit (shaped as a heart for example), with a personalized label for the person we want to give it to.

TheEducatorsSpinOnIt

Gaelle that’s an adorable idea with edible hearts! We’ve made heart shaped breads that would work too for your idea too. It’s just fun encouraging kids to think of others and seeing the joy it brings to them as they give their gift of kindness. .

http://www.familylifeuniversity.org/ Eric Dingler

I’m going to share this with our arts and crafts director for an idea for our younger kids at summer camp. Thank you.